The National tribune., 1887-06-23
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical Duties Taught by Study or the Inter
national Sunday -schoOl Lesson Appointed fol-
July ]. 81. Haiti, lie.

Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
above.
SUBJECT: The VISIT OF THE MAGI TO THE
INFANT JESUS.
We are now to study the Gospel of st. Mat
thew There are four Gospels. The first
three are known as synoptical. The name of
St. Matthew's father was Alpheus The Apostle
had also the name Levi. He was born in about
the year l, A. d., at Nazareth. In the
Church kalendar he is put on Sept. 81. His
name means gift Of God. He was Jew. He
resided in our SaviOr's time at Capernaum.
By vocation he was a publican, or taxgatherer.
He owned n house in Capernaum. (St. Luke,
5:29) 1t is said he was slain by q sword at
Naddabar, Ethiopia. Roman Catholic authori-
ties say his remains are now at Salerno.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The word
means the house Of bread aud is q fit name for
the birthplace of him who was the Bread of Life.
1t was in the territory Of the tribe of Judah
written also Juda in v. g.. 1t was in that
one of the four provinces Of Palestine named
Judea. The heads of the different families of
tribe were known as princes. Each was a
ruler over his own real estate. Each ones ter
ritory was princeton. Princes w. o. means
princedoms. Bethlehem was an important
part of the tribe of Judah. 1t was very fertile.
Bethlehem is six miles south of Jerusalem. 1t
was called Bethlehem of Judea to distinguish
it from a Bethlehem in the tribe of Zebulon,
province of Gaiilee. 1t was a great distinction
to be the birthplace Of the King of Kings.
Seven cities quarreled for the honor of being
the place of Homer's birth. Corsica is promi-
neAt as NapOleOn'5 place of nativity, and
Avon as that of Shakspere. Jesus lived in
Bethlehem about one year. We do not learn
he ever returned to it.
Palestine in Christ's time was under the
Roman government, represented by HerOd
the Great. Augustus was Emperor. HerOd
was native of Ascalon, an Idumean or Edom-
lite, and hence descendant of Esau. In our
lesson we see the animOsity of the two broth
ers, ESlu and Jacob revived in the hatred of
HerOd for Christ. He had ruled Judea for
about 40 years. He married Jewess. He
protested to be a prOselyte to the Israelitish
faith. This was merely for political purpose.
At the time of our lesson he was 20 years old.
He murdered his wife, uncle, and three sons.
Augustus said of him, 81 would rather be
HerOds swine than his son." Swine could not
be killed by one protesting to be Jew. To be
sure of mourning at his death, he ordered be-
forehand the execution, just after his death,
of large number of the principal Jews. He
was at work on the repairing of the temple at
Jerusalem. and had been for about 16 years
before his decease. He was exceedingly in
consistent for while expanding moneys on the
Hebrew temple, he was constructing a pagan
place of worship at Samaria, and Offering
heather devotiOns at CRsaIea.
The visit of the Magi to Christ was made
when he was about one year old. 1t seems
clear quite a time elapsed from the birth Of
the Savior. st. Mt, 81, shows Herod aseer-
tanned very accurately the time of the appear
ing of the star. We infer the star was first
visible at the moment of the birth. Then, in
st. Matt, 2 16, we find Herod in his wrath
Staying the infants OF Bethlehem from two
years of age and under. 1t would seem he had
infants one year younger and one year older
killed, so as TO be sure to include the infant
Christ.
The Magi came from the East. The general
opinion is they were Persians. 1t would be
better to render " from " (V.I) Of 1t is proba-
bic they travelled by night Their guidance by
star would imply this. Then, in an intensely
hot region it would be more comfortable to
make journeys at night.
We know but little about the wise men.
They were the educated class, instructed the
Princes, interpreted the sacred books of their
land, controlled and conducted the lturgies OF
their religion, studied the stars, and from their
observation determined the destiny of their
nation. st. Matthew speaks so Familiarity OF
the Magi that we would suppose their customs
were well known among the Jews. The wise
men were descendants of the oItcast Ishmael
son of Abraham. They were Gentiles. Chris
tianity enlarges the covenant made with Abra-
ham. The supposition they were Kings is based
on Ps, ~ IL, and Isa., 90: 3. We are not in
| formed as TO the number. Tradition reports
| three and gives their names-Melehior, Caspar,
| BeltbaZar. Their manner of asking the ques-
| ton in V. 2 shows they were not from the lost
| tribes of Israel.
| The signal for the journey of the Magi wa:
| the star. The Persian5 wOrshiped fire and
L.
| appearance of the heavens at night. 1t Is not
settled what this star was. 1t is most natural Il
suppose it was special signal light and no
| any definite one of the planets. What is known
| in astronomy as the Star of Bethlehem is no
thought 10 have been the light which guided TIT
| wise men. But how came the blagi TO connec
the star with Christ's birth? How did it hap
pen they associated it with the advent of grea
| parsonage of the Jews? The prophecy of Dan
| lei led the Jews to expect the coming of KinJ
TO follow David and solomon. Then the Jew
travelled somewhat, and would mention thei
| expectations. Zoroaster, the greatest of tn
| Magi, may have read tho Old Testament anC
intimated 10 his followers the prophecies e. q
the prophecy Of Isa., 60:3. If the Magi wer
Arabians, they may have known the prophec,
of their own BALKAN. (Nu., % ~ Chalet
dius, in a comment on Plato, alludes TO the sta
las foretellng the descent Of God upon tn
Occasioning some wise men among the Chal
deans to 60 in search of him and pay hin
alteration" The belief used to prevail tina
stars appeared at the births and deaths Of emf
nent men. When Julius Cesar died a come
appeared for seven days. Perhaps God i'm
parted 10 the wise men intimations through tn
Holy Spirit, as in the cases of Cornelius (Act,
1879 and Philip (S:26, ~. The wise me
must have felt that the coming of Christ ha
some relation TO them, although he was Kin
of the Jews-an intimation of the turning t
Christianity of the Gentiles.
The distance from Persia to Jerusalem wOul
be more than 600 miles. They went a-fOot o
on slow beasts of burden. We find it took Err
four months to make the journey. C7:9J w
cannot tell how long a time the Magi required
How must HerOd have looked on those me
inquiring their way To the infant King of oh
Jews! (V.2 He (Herodl was himself pract
cally the real King. Would he not regard tn
mission of the Magi as seditious? The wis
men went 10 King Herod and wanted to kno1
of him where the new King was-expressed dt
sire to show him royal attentions ("worship,
V. 2)-had presents to offer to him. True
they were not subjects of Herod. and this fea
, ture gave different turn TO the matter, bT
still this fact would not lead Herod to look o
them much more favorably. Was it not a
. impertinence to make inquiry of Herod? hi
, not the Magi, in their innocence and ignoranc
, think q legitimate heir Of the reigning Kin
, had been born? Hence, they went to Jerusa
lem. Then, seeing their error and restrainin
, men for discovering the whereabouts of the Q,
I'D asul.l